“By limiting the voices of our future leaders, we only limit ourselves”
Today Drogheda Life is pleased to publish an article by Omnia Kharief who is a student at Our Lady’s College Greenhills and also a Regional Officer with the Irish Second-level Students Union. We think the world will be hearing a lot more from Omnia in the not too distant future and we certainly hope that this will be the first of many contributions we receive from such a prodigious talent.
The Power of Our Youth
By Omnia Kharief
As we step back and reflect on now-globalised issues that were once nothing more than idle talk, we see a common trend within them all. The young people of our society, both nationally and internationally have become common sightings at many discussions and debates worldwide.
With the ability to instantly connect with likeminded millennials and “gen-z’s”, the youth of today have taken the political world by storm!
From widely known activists such as Greta Thunberg, to local climate activists like Beth Doherty, young people have been putting themselves at the forefront of discussions alongside our politicians. Is it a surprise that there is such a strong push for the voting age to be lowered to 16?
There is no better example of this than the effect the voices of young people have had on our education system this year. The Irish Second-level Students Union (ISSU), representing the views of students nationwide, gave us a prime example of why the influence of young people should never be underestimated.
With students all over the country having been forced to teach themselves from home during the initial Covid-19 lockdown last year in March 2020, and the most recent lockdown, from January to April 2021, they’ve proved to be a force to be reckoned with!
The ISSU worked with students to make clear to both the Department of Education and every other stakeholder, that the voices of students and young people must always be represented, respected, and listened to.
ISSU President- Reuben Murray, and Education Officer- Alicia O’ Sullivan worked directly with the Minister of Education, Norma Foley, to bring the change that was needed!
By engaging with students on a national level, it was clear that change had to be made to both the 2021 Leaving Certificate and Junior Certificate. By proving that age does not translate to knowledge, we were able to get students the right they fought for- a choice of both Accredited grade and the option to do their exams in June. The Students Union demonstrated what many people have failed to see before- young people deserve a seat at the table when it comes to decision making.
As the ISSU Regional Officer for Louth and Meath, I’ve personally seen the positive change that our students can make, regardless of their age. From climate activism, #BLM movements, and #MeToo, we have had students, some as young as 13, speaking in the Dáil and getting involved in current affairs.
The ISSU believes that through educating and encouraging our younger generations to actively get themselves involved in our political system, we strengthen our union as a nation. Although we are young, we have shown that we are more than just “kids” or “inexperienced onlookers”, but instead we are a powerful and vital element of society.
“By lowering the voting age to 16, we as a country are taking the first steps in recognising young people as the members of society that they are”.
This statement from the ISSU Welfare Officer echoes the union’s support of the proposal to lower the voting age to 16. By limiting the voices of our future leaders, we only limit ourselves.
